Happy Birthday?
by silentvendetta
Summary: Rated for now for language and implication to sex. BobbyPOVJackPOV No Slash


_I'd never had a home before Evelyn Mercer at least not one that I could call home. Not only did she give me the home I'd dreamed of since I was a little kid but she also gave me brothers, three brothers in fact that after three months where I felt like no one could hurt me anymore. Sure they scared me at first, with their rough habits and the harsh snaps they regularly spat at each other, but really they never meant to hurt each other. For all the years I was with them after that, they never hurt each other or me on purpose…never._

"Jackie, get up bro."

Shrugging away the rough shakes Jack grumbled and fought conciseness.

"Damnit, ya fairy, get your ass up."

There was a pause and Jack thought whoever it was had left but then heard the window behind him. This was quickly followed by his blankets being pulled off him in one swift movement. Scrunching his eyes shut he slowly pulled his knees up to his chest in an attempt to keep out the cold. He nuzzled his face into the warm fabric against the knees of his pajama pants as the cold air brushed over his back.

The voice let out and annoyed, exaggerated sigh, "Christ, Jack, what the hell do I gotta do to get you the fuck up already? Damn."

Finally he opened his eyes and blinked at his oldest brother, "_What _could you_ possibly _want at…" He glanced at the clock in between their beds, "…six forty in the morning?"

"Happy Birthday."

"Oh Christ." He forced his head back against his knees, "Why do you, of all people, remember my birthday?"

"Fuck off. Get up I got something for you." He wandered over to his bed.

"Fine," Jack stretched and wrapped his mangled blankets around his shoulders. "I am gonna get you sooo bad on your next birthday?"

"Mmhmm." Bobby nodded after a moment before trying to quickly change the subject. "So your turning thirteen right?"

"Dick." He grinned.

"Nah, you can call me Bobby."

"Oh fuck off," He laughed, "you know I'm turning seventeen."

"You sure? Ain't you a bit scrawny to be seventeen?"

"Look whose talking."

"I'm not talkin height ya, fairy."

"Oh and you would know that I'm sure."

"What? Them girls you bring home tend to talk." Bobby faked a shiver, "Damn that one last week was a straight out dog."

"Hey at least I'm getting laid." Jack frowned and pulled the blanket tighter around me.

"I get laid plenty thank you."

"By who? Your hand?"

Bobby cracked a grin before reaching over and ruffling Jacks already messy hair, "Snappy ain't cha?" He glanced over at the clock and dropped his hand, "Yeah I got you something."

"You said that already."

"Shut up." He reached under his bed and slid a long cardboard box out between them on the floor, "There."

Jack stared at it for a moment, "What is it?"

He frowned and leaned back annoyed, "Open it an you'll see."

After another moment Jack dropped the blanket from his shoulders and slid down onto his knees next to the box. Opening the lid a bit he glanced in but then quickly looked up at Bobby, who was pretending not to care. Ignoring Him, Jack pushed away the cardboard lid and ran his hands over the cool black leather of the inner case before reaching down and popping the golden locks on the edge of the box. Lifting the surprisingly light leather lid his face dropped at the inside.

"It - it's empty?" He stammered.

"Yeah, uh," Bobby sat in his place examining his fingers like nothing was going on. "I could only afford the case. You can put your old one in it right?"

"Uh, yeah, thanks." He crawled back up onto the bed and sprawled out on his stomach.

"Cool. I gotta piss I'll be right back." He got up and shut the door behind him as he left.

Jack trembled in the cold and hatted himself for getting so excited before he knew what was going on. Telling himself that he couldn't expect Bobby to get him a new guitar. Sucking in a breath he shut his eyes and rolled onto his back, trying to hold back the tears. Slowly letting the air slip out of his mouth, releasing his tight lungs, he opened his eyes but then instantly shut them back. Unbelievingly he said it wasn't real and opened his eyes again, but it was real, so real. There, hanging from the jacket hook on the back of his door, was a deep black electric guitar with a thick redwood back and trim. Almost unbelievingly, he slowly rose from his seat and slid the guitar strap off its hook. Holding it by the neck with one hand, he let the other trace across the smooth finish and up the thin strings. His fingers twitched to flow across them and become familiar with the sweet sound that he knew would erupt from it. At that instant he remembered Bobby and jerked open the door to yell after him but found that he was slouched against the door fame with a wild smirk on his face.

"Now _where_ did you get _that_?"

"Fucking prick." Jack laughed between words as he grasped Bobby in a one armed hug.

"Ya like it I guess."

"Yeah I like it!" He released Bobby and looked over the guitar again, "It's great. Fuckin ace."

He tipped the strap over his shoulder and started to play with his eyes closed. After a few moments his eyes shot open as he heard a car pull up outside.

"Jerry?" He rose an eyebrow at Bobby, knowing that Jerry usually didn't show up till about eight.

"Naw, uh," He rubbed the back of his neck and thumbed at the a bag beside him on the floor that Jack hadn't seen before, "it's me."

"You?" His eyes shot open wider. "You're leaving? Why?"

"I just gotta Jack. This town is just too small for me-"

"What did you do?"

"Nothing worse than the usual." He tried to laugh but his face flattened as Jack searched his eyes, "I gotta go." He reached down and picked up his bag.

"Let me come with you."

"You can't." He started down the stairs without looking back.

"But I-"

"Put that guitar to good use alright? I wanna hear it when I get back." He was at the door by now and spoke over his shoulder, still not wanting to look at Jack.

"Well…when are you coming back?"

Bobby walked out to the taxi without another word and slid inside. Just as Jack made it out to the lawn, barefoot and only wearing pajama bottoms, the dirty yellow car pulled away. Inside the car, Bobby hung his head.

"Thanks for that," He said to the passenger beside him before staring into the rearview at the outline of Jack disappearing amongst the shadows. "Green."

"Yeah, Bobby, yeah." He said as Bobby tried to ignore the o s familiar sound of cool metal locking into place around his wrist.

_I know I've done some bad things over the years but I never wanted Jack to see me that bad especially on his birthday. He looked up to me, an I'd let him down. That kid had never judged me since the day we met and I'd promised him I'd never let anyone hurt him again but there was no way I could protect my baby brother from all the bad and all the evil in the world while I was in lock up. I've failed you Jackie…I'm sorry._


End file.
